Barbara Booth named 2020 Utah Mother of the Year, tells Senate she has fostered more than 100 children

Barbara Booth was honored on the Senate floor as the 2020 Utah Mother of the Year and addressed members about her long record of fostering children in Utah.

Senator Hilliard introduced the annual recognition and Senator Milner presented Booth as the honoree, noting Booth’s background in elementary education and her role as a foster parent for more than 27 years. The reading clerk read an official citation from the Utah State Legislature praising Booth’s service and noting that she and her husband had fostered more than 100 children over 27 years and adopted one of their foster children.

The Senate resolved into a Committee of the Whole so Booth could speak to the body. Booth told the Senate she had been a foster parent in Utah for almost 28 years and described her experience as largely positive, singling out the Utah Foster Care Foundation for improvements in recruitment and training for foster parents. “I’ve been a foster parent in the state of Utah for almost 28 years,” Booth said. “I have seen so much improvement over these years in the quality of training for foster parents.” She urged continued support for foster-care programs and thanked senators for their past support.

Senator Hilliard moved to dissolve the Committee of the Whole after Booth’s remarks; the motion passed and the Senate returned to routine business.

The recognition included appearances by other legislators and a formal citation read on the floor. Booth’s remarks emphasized the hands-on nature of foster care, the medical fragility of some children she cared for, and the system improvements she has observed over nearly three decades of service.